Hawaii Time

Hawaii is three (3) hours behind PST during the summer. Hawaii time is
also known to be an additional 15 minutes later than what the clock says
(kind of like Ging Ging time). So make that 3 hours and 15 minutes behind
PST.

For our mainland visitors, suggested dress for the wedding is formal
aloha wear.

Hawaii is a laid-back type of place and many of the popular Hawaiian
fashions reflect this casual feeling. An aloha shirt or dress are
appropriate for most formal functions.

We want people to be comfortable at
the wedding, so we suggest that people wear aloha attire. September
brings some of the hottest temperatures of the year to Hawaii, sometimes
hitting the mid 90's. Of course, you
can also wear a regular dress shirt or dress if you would like to. Ging
thought I
should include some tips on picking the right aloha shirt for those who
are considering it.

There are as many designs of aloha shirts as there are colors in a
rainbow. The problem is, which should you pick? Although, an aloha shirt
is considered an oddity in many places, there are some designers/stores
that are very serious about making beautiful, more formal designs. Some
of these stores are Sig Zane,
Hilo Hattie, and Reyn Spooner. As long as you stay away
from shirts with TOO
MANY COLORS or TOO
BUSY a design, you should be fine. And no Magnum PI's! :)

Saturday night, you will experience a REAL luau! A luau is a big Hawaiian
get-together for celebrating important occassions. Like many events in Hawaii,a luau is centered around eating good food! A lot of hard work goes into preparing the food. Billy's uncle, Uncle Kaeo will be the chef! Guests resposibility include eating, dancing, singing, and a little bit of drinking. Read more about the history of luaus!

The menu at the luau will be include such things as Kalua
pig, luau stew, poke, poi and many other goodies. Hula dancing is
traditionally performed at luaus.

Food definitionsPupu: Appetizer

Kalua Pig: This dish is cooked in an imu (an underground oven). A whole pig is covered with banana leaves and ti leaves while it is roasted.

Poi: Pounded taro, local to Hawaii. Traditionally enjoyed with fresh fish, seaweed, breadfruit and sweet potato. Fingers were the utensil of choice. One, two, or three fingers to scoop out the pudding! Many Hawaiians love their poi fermented a bit, giving it a unique, slightly sour taste. "The bowl of poi was considered so important and sacred a part of daily Hawaiian life that whenever a bowl of poi was uncovered at the family dinner table, it was believed that the spirit of Haloa, the ancestor of the Hawaiian people, was present. Because of that, all conflict among family members had to came to an immediate halt." (thepoicompany.com)

The local accent and way of talking is often referred to as "pidgeon
english". It may take a little bit of time to get used to it, but there is a history behind it! Its sort of a direct translation of Hawaiian grammar into
English with some words unique to Hawaii thrown in .... Maybe you can pick
some of it up!

And here's a really great (and funny) site to help you prepare for the
accent! Full On
Pidgin

Some words you might encounter in Hawaii:
Kama'ainas (child of the land) - those born in Hawaii
Malihini - newcomer or visitor